Book interview - Sunflowers Beneath the Snow by Teri M. Brown
Please tell us a little about the book
Sunflowers Beneath the Snow is a historical
fiction set in Ukraine that follows three generations of women as they live in
Soviet Ukraine, witness the country’s independence, and finally the Russian
invasion in August 2014. In some ways, this novel is both historical fiction
and ripped from the headlines.
If you love character-driven fiction, then
you will love Sunflowers Beneath the Snow.
Where did the inspiration come from for your book?
I met a college student from Ukraine on a
summer work exchange program. At the end of the summer, she was unable to go
home because of the Russian invasion and her parents’ displacement. (To this
day, she remains in the US). She came to visit after moving to New York City
and told me an incredible story – and it was a story that needed telling. Her
“ending” had no beginning, so I created one. Most everything in the story is
fiction, but the last chapter has a lot of truth before I revert back to
fiction in the epilogue.
How did you find the experience of writing this book?
This book was difficult to get started. I
had this piece of truth – someone’s personal history – and I wanted to stay
true to that. On the other hand, I’m a fiction author who wanted to stay true
to the craft of fiction. And to make matters even more difficult, some people
could get hurt if their whereabouts became known by the wrong individuals.
Because of all this, I didn’t start writing
the story for a couple of years. However, when I finally sat down to write,
fifty thousand words tumbled out in one week. Then, during edits, another
30,000 words tumbled out in five days. It is a story that demanded telling.
Did you draw any inspiration from any real life people with any of your characters?
The youngest woman, Ionna is loosely based
on my Ukrainian friend, at least in terms of her story. The characters are bits
and pieces of family, friends, and acquaintances. Because I write
character-driven fiction, my characters experience life so that readers can
relate. I try to write characters that my readers would want to invite to
lunch.
If you could say anything to readers of this book then what would it be?
These women lived in some grueling times
and through some grueling experiences. Yet, they still found joy, love,
compassion, and hope. That’s true of all of us. Yes, living in Soviet Ukraine
must have been horrible. Yet, the people living there still fell in love and
had families and dreamed their dreams. We are all more alike than we are
different.
Are there plans for more from these characters, or is it a stand alone piece?
This is a standalone piece. However, I am
writing another historical fiction, An Enemy Like Me, that I hope to release
later this year. It is set during WWII and explores the angst of war from the
eyes of a soldier, his wife, and his four-year-old son.
Where can we buy your book?
You can find Sunflowers Beneath the Snow on
Amazon at https://amzn.to/3KArece in both
print and digital format. If you’d like a signed copy, you can order from my
website at www.terimbrown.com.
Please tell us where readers can connect with you and find out about any new book releases too
I’d love for you to join my newsletter.
Doing so will give you a sneak peek into An Enemy Like Me, give you insights
into book characters I love, and keep you up-to-date on my writing news: https://deft-pioneer-4478.ck.page/8cf7e706ee
You can also follow me on social media and
book platforms:
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· Amazon Author:
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